Fight With Me

Chapter 16

Josie's POV
Hope and I were curled up on her bed, absorbed in the familiar chaos of *Mean Girls*. I pulled her closer, feeling the warmth radiate from her body, and kissed her forehead gently. "Thank you for the treehouse. It was the most amazing thing anyone's ever done for me," I whispered, my voice thick with gratitude.

She wrapped her arms around me, her fingers playing with my hair as she sighed contentedly. "I will always be here to do anything for you. Honestly, I couldn't stop thinking about you all day.Ever since you gave me the tour of the school, I haven't stopped thinking about you. I was secretly hoping you liked me back."

As silence enveloped us, I looked up to see her eyes gently drifting closed. It was only 3:30, but after the whirlwind of the last few days, she deserved the rest. I slowly began to sneak out of the room when she suddenly pulled me back, feigning a pout. "I thought you said you were going to stay with me."

I couldn't help but grin as I turned back to face her. Leaning in again, just as I was about to kiss her, my phone rang, cutting the moment short.

"God, someone is really plotting against us," Hope groaned, pulling away with a playful roll of her eyes.

"Ugh, it's my dad," I said, annoyance seeping into my voice.

"Josie?" he called through the line.

"Yes, Dad?"

"We have a new student named Jade who needs a tour. Meet me at the entrance at 4."

"But Dad—can't Lizzie do it?"

"Nope. No excuses. Love you, bye."

I groaned as I hung up the phone. "I have to go show this new girl around the school in like ten minutes." Hope's expression shifted, jealousy flashing in her eyes.

"New girl, huh? Sounds familiar"she said, her voice laced with sadness.

"What are you jealous of?" I teased, a smirk playing on my lips.

"Nah, I'm not, because I know I could make you beg for me in a millisecond." With a swift move, she pushed me down onto the bed, straddling me.

"Hope, I have to be down there in like eight minutes. What are you doing?" I giggled, trying to keep it light.

She smirked and started kissing down my neck. A soft moan escaped my lips as I tilted my head, giving her better access as she sucked on my pulse point. "I have lips, you know," I managed to say, flustered.

"I know," she said, her wink full of mischief, clearly proud of herself. I caught a glimpse of the hickey forming on my neck in the mirror and lunged at her.

"Hope! I have to take that girl around!" I exclaimed, the tiniest bit annoyed.

"That's the whole point, silly—to show her you aren't interested," she replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

I glared at her, and she put on a mock-pout. "Aww, a bit flustered, are we?" she teased, then leaned in to kiss me on the cheek before playfully pushing me out the door. I couldn't help but smile as I walked toward my dad's office, trying to cover my neck. This girl was going to be the death of me.

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Hope's POV

I wasn't jealous. She was mine, and she could do whatever she wanted as long as she came back to me. Okay, fine, I was jealous—like, majorly jealous. I sat on my bed, wishing the time away, my thoughts swirling around how I felt about Josie. *I miss her. Wow, she's got me totally whipped,* I mused to myself. I had never been so sure about anything in my life.

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Josie's POV

After finally finishing up the tour for Jade, I was relieved to find that neither she nor my dad had mentioned the hickey. I'd been barely present during the whole thing, my mind replaying moments with Hope, particularly the way her lips felt against my neck. It didn't just feel good; it felt right.

When I reached Hope's room, I knocked, but there was no answer. I slowly opened the door, expecting to find her there, but she wasn't. Deciding to wait for her, I plopped down on the bed, assuming she had just gone to grab a snack.

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Hope's POV

I had headed downstairs to the kitchen to grab snacks—ice cream and chips—before Josie returned, excited for our movie night. As I opened the door to my room, snacks in hand, I found Josie waiting for me, a mischievous look in her eyes.

"Hey Jo—oh okay," I said, but before I could finish, she slammed the door behind me with a spell, making me drop the snacks on the floor.

She rushed over, pushing me against the door and pinning my arms above my head. My heart raced as she leaned in, touching her forehead to mine before trailing kisses down my neck, playfully at first, then more intensely as she sucked on my pulse point.

It felt amazing—her touch was addicting. She nibbled my earlobe slightly and whispered, "Payback," with a smirk. I pulled out my phone to check my neck, confirming the hickey was there.

"You're killing me, Josie Saltzman," I whispered, teasingly backing her into the edge of my bed. I picked up the snacks I had dropped and lay back, eyeing her as she stood there, speechless.

"Hey, you going to come join me, or are you going to stand there forever, huh?" I taunted.

Finally, she snapped out of it and sat beside me. I pouted. "When I said join me, I meant down here," I teased, pulling her onto me. Her eyes were filled with desire, and I felt a rush of heat at the sight.

"Don't—don't look at me like that, Josie, oh my god," I sighed, flustered.

She frowned slightly, beginning to sit up. "I'm sorry, Hope. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

I gently grabbed her face, forcing her to make eye contact. "You didn't make me uncomfortable," I assured her, my confidence surging. Suddenly, I flipped us over, so I was hovering above her. Leaning in closer, I muttered, "It's just that if something starts now, I'm not sure I'll be able to stop."

She locked eyes with me, a fire igniting between us. "And what if I don't want you to stop?" she challenged, her voice steady, laced with a playful edge.

In that moment, the world outside faded away. Everything that had been swirling around us—the jealousy, the worry, the uncertainty—dissolved, leaving only us and the heat of our connection.

Without hesitation, I leaned down, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. It was slow at first, a sweet exploration of everything we had both been holding back. Our hands intertwined, fingers weaving together as if we were creating something new.

As the kiss deepened, it became a beautiful promise of all that was to come. I felt her smile against my lips, and it ignited a warmth within me. We pulled away, breathless and grinning like fools.

"Well," I said, panting slightly, "I guess we both got what we wanted."

She nodded, her eyes sparkling. "Definitely."

In that moment, everything felt right. We didn't need words to express it; the connection was stronger than anything we could say. And as I wrapped my arms around her, I knew we were ready to face whatever came next—together.